The first purpose of this study is to do a comparative analysis in terms of the item difficulty and discrimination index between Mathematics Placement Test Form A and G. The results seem to suggest that items on both forms of the placement test are equally difficult. However, items on form A appear to have more discrimination power than items on…

The revised approach to teaching and learning math in the United States emphasizes the mental processes involved in doing math and focuses partly on children's prior knowledge, out-of-school experiences, and informal mathematics knowledge. This engaging approach can function to encourage children to select one of the mathematical sciences as an…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that all children, including English language learners (ELLs), reach high standards by demonstrating proficiency in English language arts and mathematics by 2014. Schools and districts must help ELL students, among other subgroups, make continuous progress toward this goal, as measured by…

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) administered Illinois Measure of Annual Growth in English (IMAGE) tests in Spring 2004. IMAGE tests are administered to Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who have been in either a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) or Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) program since September 30 of…

This statistical report presents the results of performance on the Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) by Special Programs. Statistics from each school district in the state of Idaho are included. The subjects of Reading, Language Usage, and Mathematics are covered. Special programs discussed include: Economically Disadvantaged; Limited…

Concerns that higher standards and demanding high-stakes tests will disadvantage students who have attended weak, unsuccessful, or under-resourced schools have typically been met with the counter-claim that poorly prepared students will be provided with the extra help and support they need to succeed. Efforts to provide extra help are in their…

Educators have kept up a continual bombardment against one-room schools. It has been pointed out that one teacher working alone with all grades and with pupils of all ages can not be expected to accomplish results equal to the results made possible by the specialization of the well-graded school. The present-day practice of attempting to evaluate…

Low-income fifth and sixth graders who had completed the full three years of a first- through third-grade Direct Instruction Follow Through program were tested. Students appeared to retain the knowledge and problem-solving skills they had mastered in the primary grades. (Author/BW)

The effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on basic skills achievement and attitudes toward instruction were compared for two groups of third- through sixth-grade Spanish-speaking migrant children. Results indicated that students who used CAI had greater achievement gains, but students in the non-CAI program had more favorable attitudes…

Achievement test scores and ratings of 2,368 13-year-old students who participated in the 1977-78 National Assessment of Educational Progress were analyzed. Achievement was significantly associated with attitudes, sex, ethnicity, parents' education, verbal opportunities in the home, and frequency of mathematical practice. (Authors/CJ)

Studies comparing the reading, mathematics, and language arts achievement of retained students with the achievement of promoted students are analyzed, using meta-analysis. Overall, research indicates that retained students fall behind the first year of retention and spend the rest of their academic careers in a vain attempt to catch up. (PP)

Eighth- and ninth-grade students underwent several forms of preparation before taking a mathematics achievement test: (1) going over practice problems (of the nature covered by the test); (2) review sessions; and (3) lecture and discussion on the importance of the test. Test preparation significantly affected mathematics achievement test…

Anticipating enrollment limitations in the University of Alabama's engineering technology programs, a research project was conducted to find a method of limiting enrollment without sacrificing program quality. Portions of the study dealing with selection of optimum entry-level mathematics and preparatory course/professional course relationship are…

Reviews the attribution literature on sex differences in academic achievement, especially in mathematics. Suggests that: (1) there are small sex differences in the importance attached to effort and ability as causes of mathematics success and failure; and (2) attributions are not as significant as other possible causes in mediating course…

Assessment test data from 1976-79 on California children in grade six were analyzed. Loglinear models were used to evaluate the consistency of response of each sex. A significant interaction between sex and choice of distractor occurred for a large majority of the items. (MNS)